Shark Diving and Conservation

• Placement
  
  Shark Diving and Conservation
• Airport Pickup
  
  
  Volunteers should arrange flights to Cape Town International Airport, South Africa. The project provides transfers from Cape Town International airport to accommodation in Cape Town where volunteers spend one night, following which they provide a transfer to project accommodation the next morning. At the end of the stay they will then transport volunteers directly to Cape Town International Airport or to Cape Town if volunteers are continuing their travels elsewhere.
• Accommodation
  
  You will stay at the Volunteer accommodation provided by the project. The house is in Kleinbaai which is about a two minutes’ drive away from the Harbour. The accommodation consists of shared rooms holding up to 8 volunteers at a time, fully furnished, well equipped kitchen, TV & DSTV provided and Wifi included. Laundry Services is also provided.
• Meals
  
  Breakfast and lunches are provided, dinners will be prepared by the volunteers.
• Ongoing service
  
  If there are any problems with your volunteer project we are always there to help you and mediate between yourself and the organization.
• Tours
  
  Through FRONTEERING you have the possibility to book tours in the Africa after you have finished your volunteer project.
• 24/7 Emergency contact
  
  If there are any problems during you stay in Hermanus, South Africa you can reach us 24/7 to assist you.

Volunteers are the backbone of the research of Great White Shark and marine conservation along the coast of South Africa' Western Cape. As a volunteer at the project, you will expand your knowledge on marine life and the ocean itself and share what you learn with the locals and international visitors. Some of your responsibilities include but is not limited to:

• Assisting with gathering important data on white sharks on board the shark cage diving tourist vessel and on board the research boat.
• Volunteers will also learn ethical handling and angling techniques of smaller sharks.
• Learn how to tag and take genetic samples, all of which is contributing to our baseline study on elasmobranchs.
• Other activities include participation in community events, such as workshops and presentations for local schools and beach clean-ups.

• Required to commit to a  stay of 1 week.
• Must have an interest in marine life and conservation.
• Strong work ethics are required: reliable, responsible, honest, good sense of humor, mature, dependable, physically and mentally fit. If volunteer has any medical condition, they should notify us about his/her condition.
• Must be motivated and be initiative.
• Age: 16+
• Must have a good knowledge of English.
• Good communication skills.
• Being at sea for long periods of time must be something you can handle
• Must be able to work as part of a team or individually, must read and agree to abide by guidelines and ethics of the project and must be polite and courteous to the public at all times.

• Make new friends! Meet with the local staff and many international volunteers on a daily basis.
• Close encounters with Great White Sharks, different species of sharks and various marine life!
• Expand your knowledge on marine life research and coastal conservation in beautiful South Africa while fully understanding these amazing creatures.

• Project location
  
  Western Cape, South Africa
• Area Famous For
  
  Shark Tours & Research, Whale watching, Wineries, Beautiful and picturesque beaches, Friendly people, Diverse Culture and Cuisine.
• When to visit
  
  All year round!
• Nature, Animals and other Interests
  
  Great opportunities to see many different species of Sharks and it is most famous for being the home of the Southern Right Whale. Every year these gentle creatures of the sea migrate along the coast of South Africa with Walker Bay as one of their destinations, to calve and nurture their young!

Day 1 - Arrive in Cape Town, South Africa;
You will arrive in beautiful Cape Town. There someone will be there to pick you up and you’ll then be transferred to your accommodation in Johannesburg where you will spend the night. Someone will then be there to pick you up and transfer your directly to the project.
For 1 week or more - Volunteer at the Shark Diving and Conservation project!
For one week ore more you will be volunteering in a small safe fishing town 1 hour from Cape Town, South Africa shark diving and helping with marine research, Shark Conservation and educating the Public! 
Your last day - You will fly back home or take the opportunity to travel through South Africa. Our staff will gladly help you to book any tours to see more of this great country. 

You will stay at the Volunteer accommodation provided by the project. The house is in Kleinbaai which is about a two minutes’ drive away from the Harbour. The accommodation consists of shared rooms holding up to 8 volunteers at a time, fully furnished, well equipped kitchen, TV & DSTV provided and Wifi included. Laundry Services is also provided. 

Things to bring from home

• Windbreaker/waterproof jacket, Waterproof trousers, Warm clothing – flece or warm jerseys, Other trousers suitable for boat activities – old jeans, old shorts, short sleeved t-shirts and vests, base-layers and thermals May to October, non-slip shoes (We will provide waterproof deck boots to use on the boat, but you will not want to wear these in summer and you will need suitable shoes for the land-based projects), peak cap or wide-brim hat, Sunblock (spf 30+), hat, gloves and scarf May to October, sunglasses (preferably polarized), bag/rucksack (for days when we are out in the fild all day), casual clothes for evening/weekend/travel/activity wear (bring warm clothes in Winter), Swimsuit, Wetsuit (if you are want to, we do have suits available for you to use here) – most divers in South Africa use 7mm wetsuits as our water can be very cold, Snorkel gear e.g. mask, fis and snorkel (if you are able) – not including weight belt, SCUBA certifiation (if achieved).
• Skippers license (if achieved), camera with spare batteries and memory card, laptop (if possible), iPod/MP3 player for travelling, head torch (if you like to read at night!), earplugs (if you are perhaps a light sleeper!).
• Phone and charger, daily toiletries and towels and insect repellent.

Meals

Please let us know in advance if you have any food allergies or specific dietary requirements. We will try to accommodate you but may ask you some things if what you need is not locally available.  Breakfast and lunches are provided, dinners will be prepared by the volunteers. There are also nearby restaurants and diners however, this will be at the volunteer’s own expense.

Location

This project is in the western cape of South Africa in a small town near Capetown. It is a small fishing town and popular tourist destination. It is known for its dense population of great white sharks and as a whale-watching location!